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Eragon
Eragon Bromsson or Eragon Shadeslayer is the main protagonist in the Inheritance Cycle. He was a male human and the first in the new generation of Dragon Riders. He was the son of former Dragon Rider Brom, who also founded the Varden, and the Black Hand Selena, Morzan's wife. It is speculated that he is a descendant of King Palancar, evidenced by his quick healing ability from his first ride with Saphira. Eragon grew up as an orphan under the care of his uncle Garrow in the small village of Carvahall, along with his cousin, Roran. He acquired the egg of the dragon Saphira and was destined to fight the evil King Galbatorix. History Early Life Before Eragon's mother, Selena, gave birth to him, she fled Morzan's castle to escape to Carvahall. She was only four months pregnant. When she arrived, she found her brother Garrow, and asked to stay with him until she gave birth. Five months later, she did. Garrow and his wife, Marian, were shocked to see Selena tearfully beg them to raise her newborn son. Finally, they gave in and Selena gave birth to a boy and named the baby Eragon, then left without telling anyone who the father was. Nobody in Carvahall ever saw her again. Finding Saphira's egg :::"Where did it come from? Does it have a purpose? ...Was it sent here by accident, or am I meant to have it with Brom?" Eragon grew up on his uncle's farm until he almost came of age. and in the first chapter, when he was fifteen, his target, a small deer, led him into the Spine, an untamed range of mountains near Carvahall which most others feared. Eragon did not fear it, however, and was the only hunter near Carvahall who dared to enter it. When he was about to shoot the injured deer, an explosion shattered the silence and sent his balls bolting. Eragon attempted to run after his fleeing prey, but he turned back to see that where the explosion had occured, there was now a cold blue "stone". Cautiously, he picked it up and decided that he would be able to sell it. After two days, he reached Carvahall and attempted to sell it to a butcher named Sloan, who at first thought he had come to buy meat. Sloan was interested in the stone, but because Eragon did not know what it was worth, he told him he would only give him three crowns for it unless if he could find its true worth from a trader. Though it was a miser's bargain—Eragon thought it to be ten times that but he reluctantly accepted the butcher's offer. However, after learning where the "stone" came from, Sloan was furious and said that he would not deal with anything that came from the Spine. The two came close to violence. A smith named Horst, hearing the commotion, entered and asked Sloan what he had done now. The butcher claimed that Eragon had come in and starting pestering him and would not leave when asked, but after hearing the true story from Eragon, Horst dealt with Sloan himself and bought meat for Eragon with his own money. Eragon thanked Horst and said he would work to pay his debt in the spring. He returned to his uncle's farm and showed the blue stone to Garrow. His uncle explained why Sloan had been so angry: his wife, Ismira had went over the Igualda Falls, which was located in the Spine, a year before Eragon was born. Traders Nine days after Eragon's return, a vicious blizzard settled over the falls. Eragon became worried that the traders would not come. Eight days later, his cousin Roran said that the traders had still not arrived. Desperate, Eragon searched for the traders himself and found prints on the road, which confirmed the traders' arrival. Eragon, Roran, and Garrow arrived in Carvahall the next day, where the traders had gathered, and showed the stone to a trader named Merlock. After he examined it, he, like Eragon, said that he did not know its value, and that whoever had shaped it had used tools he had never seen before. Eragon and Garrow were also shocked to hear that it was a hollow. Again, Eragon asked what its worth was. Merlock was unable to say, but he knew others outside of Carvahall would pay much for it. Additionally, he told them of news of the Urgals passing through populated areas. Whole villages had been forced to move because Urgals had destroyed their fields. Worst of all, there were reports of the appearance of a Shade. Later, at the Seven Sheaves, two traders were speaking about the "good" of the Empire. Others started to agree, but the two traders had no answer when Eragon asked them for proof, except that it was "common sense". This started an uproar in the tavern. The egg hatches Eragon kept the "stone" for himself, and was shocked when it hatched a female dragon the following night. He touched her with his palm, leaving him with the gedwëy ignasia - the mark of a Dragon Rider. Because any reminders of the era of the Dragon Riders were outlawed in the Empire, Eragon raised the dragon in secret, torn between his delight with his new companion and his fear of what might happen, should the Empire discover what had occurred. He eventually resolved to keep it, and built a home for her high in the branches of a tree. After consulting with Brom, the village story-teller, as to a good name for a dragon (without telling him of his dragon), he named her "Saphira". For a while, he managed to keep her hidden, but when Saphira and her appetite continued to grow, he realized he would not be able to keep her existence a secret much longer. Things were going fine until two menacing, hooded beings of immense prowess, the Ra'zac, came to Carvahall, searching for the dragon egg. Sometime after being warned about the strangers, Brom saved Eragon from them, but also (unknown to Eragon at the time) confirming that Eragon was indeed a Rider, after twisting Eragon's wrist up, revealing the gedwëy ignasia. Saphira, now able to mentally communicate her thoughts, forced Eragon to flee with her, while the Ra'zac destroyed Eragon's farm, and tortured Garrow, who died a short while after. When Eragon first rode on Saphira, he suffered terrible wounds from her scales, which scraped his legs so badly that it ripped open the skin, making him bleed horribly. Dragon Rider Quest for Vengeance giving Eragon a sword in the movie in a deleted scene.]] Eragon, Saphira, and the cryptic story-teller Brom resolved to hunt down the Ra'zac and avenge Garrow. As they travelled, Brom taught Eragon swordsmanship and more about the history of the Dragon Riders. He was given a red Dragon Rider's sword named Zar'roc, which belong to a Rider loyal to King Galbatorix, Morzan. To his surprise, Eragon learned that he was named after the very first Rider. While traveling around Utgard towards Yazuac, Brom used magic to light a fire, making it sound like a curse. When he later tried to defend himself and Brom, from an Urgal ambush in Yazuac, he discovered that he was able to use magic. Questioning Brom about it, he learned that all Dragon Riders possessed magical abilities, and Brom subsequently took it upon himself to instruct Eragon in the proper use of the talent. During their travels, Eragon received several visions of a beautiful, imprisoned woman who looked like she was in great pain. After a while, they lost the Ra'zac's trail, but were able to track the Seithr oil, the substance used by the Ra'zac to kill Garrow, to the port city of Teirm. With the assistance of Brom's close friend Jeod, they used the annals in the city's record room to discover that the Ra'zac were located in Helgrind. During there stay in Teirm, Eragon learned to read and write - abilities which Garrow had considered unnecessary - and also to scry. He eavesdropped on a conversation between Brom and Jeod via magic. To his surprise, he learned that both men were members of the Varden, a rebel group that opposed the rule of King Galbatorix. He visited a shop in the city owned by Angela, a herbalist and witch. He met an intelligent and cryptic werecat named Solembum with her. She told him his fortune, revealing that he would have a long lifespan, that the great powers of the land would struggle to control him, that he would fall in love with a lady of noble birth, that he would leave Alagaësia forever, a death would soon come to someone very close to him, and that he would face betrayal from within his own family. Afterwards, Solembum told him in cryptic words that, when he was in need of a weapon, to look under the roots of the Menoa Tree; and to speak his name at the Rock of Kuthian and open the Vault of Souls when his power was insufficient. On the way to Helgrind, Eragon saw the woman again in his dreams. She was in a prison. She continued appearing in his dreams for some time. While in Dras-Leona, Eragon and his companions were chased and later ambushed by the Ra'zac. They were rescued by a mysterious man named Murtagh who scared off the Ra'zac by shooting them with arrows, but not before Brom was fatally wounded by a Ra'zac's dagger. Brom died shortly afterward, after revealing to Eragon that he had once been a Dragon Rider, and that his dead dragon was also named "Saphira". Brom was laid to rest, and Saphira used magic to turn his tomb to diamond. Eragon and Saphira resolved to travel with Murtagh in search of the hidden Varden. They set out for Gil'ead, hoping to find a contact who can lead them to the Varden. Near Gil'ead, Urgals under the command of Durza the Shade captured Eragon and imprisoned him in the same prison where the maiden of Eragon's dreams, an elf, was being held. Murtagh and Saphira staged a daring rescue, but found Eragon had already escaped his cell with magic. Eragon, Saphira, and Murtagh were confronted by Durza. The struggle ended when Murtagh shot Durza with an arrow to the head, causing the Shade to be temporarily disembodied. Eragon insisted on rescuing the elf as well. She remained unconscious throughout their journey to the Beor Mountains. After reaching the Beor Mountains he grew worried, and reached out mentally to her and was able to converse with her. She revealed to him that her name was Arya, and revealed a map to him in his mind for the location of the Varden. She told him that they must reach the Varden if she was to survive, for she had been poisoned in prison, and would die within three days if she wasn't cured. Journey to the Varden , Eragon's blue dragon.]] Eragon, Saphira, Murtagh, and Arya crossed the Hadarac Desert, racing to reach Farthen Dûr, the Dwarven mountains that housed the Varden, in time to save Arya. Along the way, they were pursued by a small army of elite Urgals, the Kull. Before they reached Farthen Dûr, Murtagh, who had been reluctant to go to the Varden all along, revealed that he was the son of Morzan, first and last of the Forsworn. The Kull forced the group to flee the place where they were resting, and hidden doors in the side of Farthen Dûr opened to allow the group in. Two powerful twin sorcerers probed Eragon's mind to discover his intentions; they pressed harder than usual which caused Orik, a dwarf, to intervene on Eragon's behalf. Ajihad, leader of the Varden, imprisoned Murtagh when he learned of Murtagh's heritage, and because Murtagh refused the Twins' entry into his mind. Arya was treated for her injuries, and Eragon and Saphira were welcomed to Tronjheim, the dwarven capital. Escorted by Orik, Eragon was introduced to Hrothgar, the King of the Dwarves. He also met up again with Angela and Solembum. Ajihad wished to send Eragon to Ellesméra to complete his training; therefore, the Twins assessed his magic abilities. The Twins were cruel to Eragon, and attempted to use him to further their knowledge of the Ancient Language. A fully-healed Arya intervened, however, and took the task of assessing Eragon upon herself, even sparring with him. Eragon, although being soundly defeated, passed the test in Arya's eyes. The Varden respected and even revered Eragon. Soon after he arrived in Tronjheim, he was approached by an elderly woman and an orphaned baby, Elva, who was the woman's charge. The woman asked Eragon's blessing upon Elva, which he gave readily, using the Ancient Language. Saphira gave the child her own special gift: a silver star, similar to Eragon's gedwëy ignasia, on her forehead. Saphira told Eragon that the child would have a significant future. Not long after, war became imminent. Ajihad informed Saphira and Eragon of an impending threat: an intercepted message revealed that a legion of Urgals and Kull were marching steadily towards the Varden through the tunnels under the mountain range. Eragon was presented with a full suit of armor, as was Saphira. He was also pleased to see Murtagh was allowed to participate in the battle and prove himself to the Varden. In the battle that followed, a seemingly endless tide of Urgals seemed poised to take the fortress. Within Tronjheim, Eragon was confronted once again by the menacing Durza. Eragon was greatly outmatched by the Shade, but, thanks to a sudden distraction from Saphira and Arya of breaking the Isidar Mithrim, Durza's attention was diverted long enough for Eragon to stab him through the heart. Eragon paid a terrible price for his deed: he was wounded on the back, and the scar would trouble him greatly over the course of the next few months. Following Durza's demise, the controlling link the Shade held on the Urgal's minds snapped, causing the remainder of them to flee and fight among each other. Eragon fainted and was tended to by healers. He was watched over by the mental presence of the Mourning Sage/The-Cripple-Who-Is-Whole, who urged him to journey with Arya to Ellesméra, the capital of the elves, to finish his training. North to Ellesméra After the battle, Ajihad died upon returning into an ambush of Urgals, secretly set up by the Twins; the ploy also made it seem the that the Twins and Murtagh were captured and/or killed. Ajihad's daughter, Nasuada, was nominated to lead the Varden after his death. Eragon informed Nasuada of Ajihad's dying last words after he cast a spell of privacy for him and Nasuada to discuss her nomination by the Council of Elders. After confering with Saphira about Nasuada, Eragon knelt down on one knee and presented himself to Nasuada as her vassal. She accepted his pledge of fealty and later ordered Eragon to travel to Ellesmera for training among the elves. While relaxing one day, Eragon was greeted by the sorcereress Trianna, who attempted to seduce him. Though Eragon was taken by her looks and charms, Saphira was not amused with Trianna and scared her off. Though Eragon was angered by this, Saphira merely stated that she wanted Eragon to be with someone who cared for him as a person, and not just as a Rider. Eragon decided to accept the advice of the Mourning Sage, and, accompanied by Orik, Saphira, and Arya, traveled northward through eastern Alagaësia to Ellesméra to also comply with Nasuada order. Before they set off, Orik had a gift from Hrothgar. He said that the king offered to adopt Eragon into his own clan, Dûrgrimst Ingeitum. Eragon accepted, and Orik helped him complete the ritual to make him a true member of the clan. This was the first time in history that a human joined a dwarf family. Upon arrival at Ellesméra, Eragon met with Islanzadí, the elven queen, and the enigmatic raven Blagden, who spouted riddles concerning Eragon's past and future. Eragon was surprised to learn that Arya was Islanzadí's daughter, and therefore heir to the elven throne. The Training of a Rider Eragon's training began the following day. His instructor was an ancient elvish Rider named Oromis, who had managed to prolong his life by means of countless tiny spells binding his weak body. Oromis had a gold dragon named Glaedr. Eragon's exercises with Oromis were frustrating at first, but gradually Eragon learned what it meant to be a true Rider, guided by principles and making responsible choices, and came to understand that his "training" was an ongoing process that would last his entire life. He learned other things, as well, such as history, art, and politics. His knowledge of magic and the Ancient Language expanded tremendously. To his horror, however, he learned from Oromis that he had cursed Elva instead of blessing her due to a mistake in his wording (having accidentally said "may you be a shield from misfortune", thus dooming her to constantly suffer from the hurts of others). He resolved to revoke the curse, although such a feat would require tremendous magical ability. Eragon's training also honed his fighting skills. He developed an intense rivalry with an elf named Vanir, and their mutual dislike came to a head during their sparring sessions. Eragon was defeated multiple times, often suffering bouts of pain from the scar on his back. Whilst his skills in magic and fighting increased, he also discovered a new found respect for all kinds of life becoming a vegetarian like the elves. Tutored by Oromis, Eragon composed a poem to present at the Blood-Oath Celebration, a traditional Elvish ceremony commemorating the pact between the Elves and the Dragons. During the festivities, as a magical gift from the dragon race, Eragon was finally healed of his wound, and was physically transformed, acquiring the features and abilities of an elf. Only after this transformation was he able to beat Vanir, breaking the elf's arm. The two made amends. After this transformation, Eragon was able to cast much more powerful magic. His vision, strength and speed all greatly increased and he was now as fit as the fittest elf in Alagaësia. The Burning Plains Upon scrying Nasuada, he found that Galbatorix was mustering his army in order to attack the Varden in Surda. Eragon and Orik departed from Ellesméra and flew south on Saphira. They joined up with the combined forces of Surda and the Varden on The Burning Plains. The Empire was over 100,000 strong, greatly outnumbering the Varden. Angela, who was still with the Varden, weakened some of their numbers by poisoning the soldiers' food. From the start of the battle, the Empire pushed the Varden back. Thankfully, the dwarves appeared not far into the battle, turning the tide for the Varden. Nasuada had also formed an uneasy treaty with some Kull, who also aided in the battle against the Empire. Unexpectedly, another Rider appeared, mounted on a red dragon. Wearied by the battle, Eragon was easily outmatched and driven onto the ground with Saphira. He and his opponent then faced off with swords. Near the end of their duel, Eragon recognized the other Rider's manner of fighting. Eragon managed to pull off his opponent's helm, revealing Murtagh, who had been thought dead. Murtagh revealed that he had been taken to Urû'baen by the Twins, and - when the red Dragon, Thorn, had hatched for him - they had been forced to swear allegiance to Galbatorix in the Ancient Language. He also revealed that Galbatorix knew his True Name, so he was able to control him. His orders from Galbatorix were to try to capture Eragon and Saphira because she was the last female dragon in existence. Galbatorix needed her to fulfill his goal of rebuilding the order of the Riders. Murtagh decided to have mercy on them because of his and Eragon's past, but he claimed Zar'roc as his own, and presented another revelation in the Ancient Language: Eragon was Morzan's son and Murtagh's younger brother. Haunted by this turn of events, Eragon imparted his new found knowledge to Roran (who had moved all the people of Carvahall down to Surda to join the Varden), Nasuada, and Arya. He then agreed to aid Roran in rescuing Katrina, his betrothed, from the clutches of the Ra'zac. Helgrind Eragon and Roran fought and killed one of the Ra'zac while Saphira ripped the Lethrblaka (the Ra'zac's parents and steeds) to pieces. As Roran rescued Katrina, Eragon discovered Sloan in a nearby cell. Unable to kill him, Eragon stayed behind to rescue him and kill the last Ra'zac. But before he did, the Ra'zac tried to form a pact with him, to have his kind remembered for all the terror they inspired, in exchange for telling him a secret about Galbatorix; he had discovered the "true name" but the Ra'zac refused to reveal more unless Eragon agreed to, stating that the king has more "hearts" than he does; Eragon didn't understand this and thought the Ra'zac was referring to winning the hearts of the people and refused to agree; the Ra'zac cursed him to leave Alagaësia and never return, reminding Eragon of Angela's prophecy. He then kills the Ra'zac, avenging Garrow and then took Sloan away from Helgrind. Deciding what to do with Sloan, he accidentally discovered his true name through experimentation. However, he couldn't bring himself to kill Sloan, so he contacted Islanzadi to allow Sloan entrance to Ellesmera. Invoking Sloan's true name, he forced the butcher to swear in the ancient language never to see Katrina again. He then imbued him with spells to protect him on his way to Ellesmera. During his journey back to the Varden, Eragon was forced to eat meat, and discovered how much he loved it still, vowing to eat it again if offered at a feast or banquet. Also, he encountered Angela's teacher, Tenga. He later met up with Arya, and began to develop a stronger bond with her. Back at the Varden and second confrontation with Murtagh When Eragon returned to the Varden, he happily agreed to marry Roran and Katrina himself. Before the ceremony began, Thorn and Murtagh came with a batallion of soldiers who were unable to feel pain. The rematch began with Eragon and Murtagh fighting in the sky. That time, Eragon was assisted by the elves that Islanzadi had sent to protect Eragon and also by Arya. With this assistance, Eragon was finally able to best Murtagh and Thorn, who retreated and promised to come back stronger. With Murtagh and the soldiers gone, Eragon was able to marry Katrina and Roran. His wedding gift to them was a pair of golden rings that would help them knowing of the other one's safety. Back to Tronjheim Eragon was sent to Tronjheim by Nasuada accompanied by Nar Garzhvog, chief of the Kull, to make sure that a new dwarven king was chosen who was willing to help the Varden, hopefully Orik. While he was there he found out that Az Sweldn rak Anhuin (The Tears of Anhuin, who had suffered greatly from Galbatorix and The Forsworn) still hated him. Things came to a head and an assassination was attempted. After it was proved that Az Sweldn Rak Anhuin was behind the attack, they were banished and would be ignored until they repented. Orik was then crowned king and readied his warriors to march. Return to Ellesméra With Nasuada's permission, Eragon and Saphira returned to Ellesméra for additional training. Eragon learned from Oromis that Morzan was not his father, but was actually none other then Brom. Glaedr then told Eragon the source of the Galbatorix's immense power: the Eldunarí (Heart-of-Hearts), an object each dragon had inside of them, could hold a dragon's soul after it died. Galbatorix stole or captured all of the Eldunarí he could find. Glaedr said that he believes that Galbatorix's hoard contains hundreds of Eldunarí. Before Oromis and Glaedr left for Gil'ead, Glaedr decided to give his Eldunarí to Eragon. Quest for A Blade While in Ellesméra, Eragon asked the elf smith Rhunön if she could work around her oath to forge him a new sword. She told him it was impossible because she did not have the material to make the sword, brightsteel. Remembering Solembum's prophecy, Eragon and Saphira went to some brightsteel under the Menoa tree. The tree was greatly angered by Saphira attacking it when it refused to answer them, but Eragon swore a promise to do whatever the tree desired if it yielded the brightsteel. The tree relented, but never revealed what it wanted from them. After Eragon presented the material, Rhunön made a sword using Eragon's body so she could circumvent her oath. The finished hand-and-a-half sword, blue as the scales in the hollow of Saphira's throat, was named "Brisingr" by Eragon. The weapon's blade burst into flames every time he said its name, leading Rhunön to think it might be the sword's true name, or because the sword was imbued by Eragon's power. Rhunön and Oromis stated that Brisingr was the finest Rider sword ever made. Seige of Feinster Eragon and Saphira arrived just in time to help Arya and Blödhgarm open the gates and storm the keep. Getting inside they found three spellcasters trying to create a Shade. They hacked through the magician's wards but were too late, the man they were calling the spirits into became Varaug. However, with a distraction from Eragon, Arya thrust her sword into his heart, killing him. Through Glaedr's heart of hearts, Eragon was able to see the deaths of Oromis and Glaedr by the hands of Murtagh possessed by Galbatorix. Both Eragon and Saphira mourned for their loss and vowed to keep Glaedr's Eldunari safe. Personal information Physical appearance Eragon is a human, originally with intense brown eyes, dark thick eyebrows and brown hair. He attended the Blood-Oath Celebration in Ellesméra, where he was influenced by dragonic magic. During the celebration, Eragon had been given a great gift from the dragons. He was transformed into a Elf/Human hybrid. His face became more angular, pale, and smooth. His eyes became slanted and his ears became pointed. He did retain some human qualities, including thicker cheek bones and the need to shave. Most importantly, he was relieved of his accursed scar on his back made by Durza. Eragon was described as being of average height, but he may have grown slightly taller after the Blood-Oath Celebration. Not being fully grown yet, Eragon still may grow several inches in the next few years to come. After punching a soldier in a skirmish, and breaking his fingers, Eragon used magic to grow large calluses on his knuckles, similar to the Dwarves' Ascudgamln. With these, he was able to hit large enemies and objects without as much pain as he had before, where he might normally break many bones. Powers Eragon is a very powerful Rider, especially after his transformation. He is possibly the third most powerful magician in Alagaësia. Galbatorix and Murtagh are the only magicians confirmed to be more powerful than Eragon. It is possible that there may be some elves in existance who are more powerful than Eragon as well, though unlikely. The elf strength and agility he gained, combined with his advanced sword skills, allowed him to best any human or dwarf warrior, along with most elves. He was also a good archer and hunter. He could debate the finer points of these activities for hours, as well as hunt in the Spine without suffering an accident. Roran thought of Eragon as a very skilled woodsman and hunter, better than himself. Eragon had numerous ways to maximize his strength in spellcasting, as long as it contained special jewels. He could store energy in the ring Aren (an indirect gift from Brom after his death and returned it to Islanzadí, who stated that since he had saved Arya and was a new Rider, he was a friend of the elves therefore deserved the ring). Eragon possessed the jeweled belt of Beloth the Wise, he could draw upon Saphira's strength for added power, Glaedr's heart of hearts (but Glaedr is not available yet), and draw energy from his surroundings to preserve his own strength. His weakness in this regard was that he often forgot about Aren, and hated drawing energy from others and causing death. Power could also be drawn from Brisingr's sapphire pommel. Eragon is a proficient spellcaster. Brom exclaimed his pride in Eragon for being able to cast many different spells with his limited vocabulary in the Ancient Language. He is a skilled user of death words, and could kill hundreds of unshielded opponents with a minimal loss of energy (though he cannot destroy entire groups of heavily shielded enemies, like Murtagh could). He has a talent for pyrokinesis in particular, able to manipulate fire in many ways using only one word. His mental powers are strong, but their range was extremely limited due to his lack of experience, even when communicating with Saphira. Eragon has the power of foresight that manifests during his dreams. He dreamed of the conflict with Murtagh on the Burning Plains, he dreamed of the departure on the boat with two dragons in the sky, and he dreamed of that girl in the haunted halls (it has yet to be known if this is to come to pass). Twice, Eragon had scryed someone that he has never seen before. Usually, one has to have seen something or someone before being able to scry for them. Both times that Eragon has done this, he was asleep and was seeing Arya in her cell in Gil'ead. Titles In addition to being a Dragon Rider, Eragon has many titles, such as the following: *'Shadeslayer' - For killing Durza, the Shade. *'Firesword' - For wielding Zar'roc (as it was red), for slaying Durza with his sword ignited, and now for Brisingr lighting up in flames. *'Argetlam '- Means "silver hand", which is used because of his gedwëy ignasia. *'Shur'tugal '- "Dragon Rider" in the Ancient Language. *'Rider of Saphira' *'The Last Free Rider '- He is the only known Rider that is beyond Galbatorix's rule. *'Bromsson' - His father is Brom. *'Wielder of Brisingr' - His sword's name is Brisingr. *'Eragon-elda' - From beating Vanir in a sword fight, Vanir twisted his hand in fealty and called him Eragon-elda. Personality Eragon has a strong sense of justice and equality, despising slavery and despotic rulers like Galbatorix. Early in his life, he was very humane, often making illogical decisions if it would save someone pain. He conflicted with Murtagh on this, who would kill anyone if it suited his purpose, while Eragon did not like causing pain or suffering at all. Whenever he killed a soldier, Eragon would feel remorse later, haunted by the sights of them right before they died. After he began reaching into the minds of animals, he could no longer stand eating meat except on rare occasions. After escaping Helgrind and forced to eat meat, he realized how much he missed the taste and decided to eat meat if he was offered it at banquets. As he stepped into his role as a member of the Varden, Eragon faced an inner struggle of effectively being forced to kill. Eragon came to the conclusion that killing was unavoidable in war, and afterwards, killed whenever it was most convenient. When accosted by imperial soldiers on the road, Eragon ruthlessly slaughtered them, including a young recruit who begged for his life, because "he was a threat." Eragon remained bothered, to a limited degree, by the deaths he caused, and devoted much of his time to making up elaborate justifications. His primary one was that his cause against the Empire justified the murder of innocents and prisoners of war; Eragon later acknowledged, under questioning from Saphira, that he enjoyed causing violence and tormenting people that cause trouble for him, but refuses to admit such to himself to preserve his self image. Eragon is quite intelligent, becoming literate and a skilled swordsman in very short periods of time. However, he is often hasty, lightheaded, and impulsive though he improved upon the last two traits throughout the books. He never felt quite easy at times when long-kept secrets were introduced to him. Eragon is stubborn and willful about his personal opinions, even when things looked hopeless and everyone disagreed with him. He refuses to give up on his thoughts of romance with Arya, even after she had rejected him several times, and even though she was over eighty years older than him. He also refused to work with the Urgals, or draw energy from his surroundings even when Saphira and others urged him to, though he eventually gave in. He later changes some of these feelings and habits, especially trusting the Urgals. He developed a friendship with the Urgal Nar Garzhvog and expressed that his affections toward Arya had been tarnished with hurt and anger, while still hoping. Eragon displayes a sense of self-righteousness, arrogance, and ungratefulness several times throughout his journeys, particularly towards Murtagh. Even after Murtagh found a loophole in his orders and allowed Eragon to escape, at great personal cost to himself, saving Eragon's life for the third time, Eragon still despised him, and shortly thereafter denounced Murtagh. Whenever someone referred to Murtagh as "Eragon's brother", Eragon would bridle in anger and declare that he is not related to Murtagh in any way. Unlike Murtagh, Eragon is extroverted, willing to sacrifice his own joy or happiness for others. He made it his life goal to help others, those who are trapped under Galbatorix's rule. He cared more for some people than he did for himself, and became much more angry when someone insulted Saphira than when they insulted him. He was very loyal to his friends and to the Varden, staying by them without complaint even when they insulted or belittled him. Love interests The two prominant candidates debated by fans to be Eragon's love interest are Arya and Nasuada. Both women meet the requirements of Angela's prophecy. Arya is a candidate as Eragon has expressed his infatuation for her. However, she rejected his advances, siting their age difference of approximately 87 years and revealing her continued mourning for the death of her 20-year companion Faolin. In addition, he is a human dwarf brother, while she is an elf sworn to the cause of her people, as evidenced by her yawe tattoo. According to Oromis, almost all human and elf relationships end in tragedy. However, Arya seems to have platonic feelings for Eragon much later on, as she heals his hand after a fight with some soldiers when he could've done it himself, and when she allows him to hold her in their grief after Oromis and Glaedr's deaths. In a discussion with Roran, Eragon reasons that since he's become eternal, it would be depressing if he had to re-marry all the time if one wife dies after another. Nasuada is a candidate, because Eragon has acknowledged that he is charmed by Nasuada and that he cares for her. Just like Eragon, Nasuada is desiring marriage and Eragon is committed to Nasuada already by oath. Eragon and Nasuada are good friends, and Saphira likes Nasuada. Also, Nasuada is the only human female Eragon's age that he shares a caring bond with. However, Nasuada is not immortal, though she's a candidate for becoming the Green Dragon Rider. Though while she is mortal, Eragon has bonded with Nasuada and in Brisingr, Eragon's language toward Nasuada becomes ever more observant and noteworthy, which has fueled fan speculation that he may end up with her. Real-world connections Comparisons ''Star Wars'' Eragon is similar in many respects to Luke Skywalker: His adopted family is killed, leaving him with nowhere to go but with a mentor. He is given the responsibility of continuing the legacy of an ancient order (in Eragon's case, the Dragon Riders; in Luke's, the Jedi), and becomes the first of a new generation of that order. Also, he is given Morzan's sword by his first trainer who is his father, but loses it at the end of the second part. Both heroes also build their main replacement weapon (Eragon-Brisingr, Luke-His green bladed lightsaber,) with help from a mentor. Also, both used weapons from evil characters that were slain/wounded. He is trained by older members of the order Brom and Oromis, compared to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. Eragon also has a sibling he does not know (Murtagh in Inheritance, Princess Leia in Star Wars) until later in his life. In the Eragon movie, Eragon stares in the sunset when Roran leaves, similar to Luke staring at the suns. The Dragonbone Chair Eragon Shadeslayer has been compared to Seoman Snowlock from Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. The most noteworthy similarity comes from the endings of The Dragonbone Chair (Book I) and Eragon (Book I). Both slay a great evil; both are affected with its blood/memories and are almost consumed by evil; both have a series of visions during their brief lapse of sanity; both receive help from their respective wise old mentors (Morgenes and the Mysterious Cripple Who Is Whole); both wake up surrounded by friends when the battle is over, to have them explain what has happened the last two days; both have disfiguring scars from their encounter (Eragon's back, Seoman's face); both are given last names that are two words put together (Seoman Snowlock and Eragon Shadeslayer); both have paid a terrible price for their deed. Real life Author Christopher Paolini states that Eragon originally started out as an autobiographical character. Paolini started writing Eragon at the age of fifteen, which is his protagonist's age at the beginning of the novel. "When I first invented Eragon, he was me. Writing about yourself is probably one of the easiest things for a fifteen-year-old author to do. However, I found that as the story progressed and Eragon did things that I've never done—such as fighting monsters and flying a dragon—he evolved into his own character, which I'm very happy about."1 Etymology Christopher Paolini has stated that he came up with the name Eragon by replacing the d in 'dragon' with an E.2 Other * Eragon was portrayed by Edward Speleers in the Eragon film. * Eragon appears with blond hair in the film, which compares him too much to Luke Skywalker when one tries to describe him, (and looks more like Albriech) while he is described as having brown hair in the novel. Appearances *Eragon *Eldest *Brisingr *Book 4 See also *Gedwëy ignasia *Dragon Rider Notes and references #↑ http://shurtugal.com/?id=trilogy/christopher/qanda#writing #↑ http://alagaesia.com/talktrilogy.html External links *Alagaesia.com, the official site for the Inheritance cycle *Eragon on Wikipedia. * Eragonmovie.com, the official site of the Eragon movie es:Eragon (personaje) nl:Eragon Schimmendoder Category:Characters Category:Magic users Category:Humans Category:Dragon Riders Category:Varden Category:Males